TRENTON, N.J., Nov. 6 (UPI) -- U.S. Rep. Jon Runyan, R-N.J., a former NFL player, announced Wednesday he will not run for a third term in Congress.
Runyan said he has no desire to be a professional politician, The Star-Ledger of Newark reported.
"Politics shouldn't be a career and I never intended to make it one," Runyan said. " While it has truly been an honor to serve the people of New Jersey's 3rd Congressional District, at this stage in my life, and more importantly, the lives of my three children, spending time with them is my top priority. As I serve out the rest of my term, I will continue to work hard on behalf of the people of South Jersey."
Runyan has had problems with more conservative Republicans in Congress, and described last month's government shutdown as "utterly ridiculous."
After playing for 13 years in the NFL, mostly with the Philadelphia Eagles, Runyan ran for Congress from a South Jersey district in 2010. He unseated one-term incumbent John Adler, D-N.J., and defeated Adler's widow, Shelley, in 2012.
Runyan had been expected to win re-election. Analysts say his retirement could mean a competitive election, especially in a district where Republican organizations in Burlington and Ocean counties are often feuding.
